Dar es Salaam. President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Wednesday outlined three problems that trouble her government, urging her assistants to work on them lest the administration fails to deliver what it has promised to Tanzanians.
The Head of State mentioned poor management, the lack of proper coordination and weak evaluation and monitoring mechanisms as issues that demand urgent redress.
President Samia made the observation today, March 30, 2022, after receiving reports from the Controller and Auditor General (CAG) and Prevention and Combatting of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) at the Chamwino State House in the capital Dodoma.
In his submission, CAG Charles Kichere presented Samia with audit reports that his office carried out in various government institutions for the 2020/2021 financial year.
Among other things, CAG Kichere informed the Tanzanian leader of the mismanagement of public funds in various government institutions as well as other financial woes that beset them.
“It seems like people have failed to stand up for the positions they hold,” President Samia said after receiving the reports. “People are fond of positions but they cannot supervise those positions. There is no accountability. Nepotism is rampant.”
Samia also explained that much of what the CAG raised regarding the mismanagement of public funds could have been avoided if only government departments were working in coordination.
As for monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, President Samia said that every government department must have a section for monitoring and evaluation, led by people who are capable of doing the task.
“We have started to strengthen the [monitoring and evaluation] section at the ministry of finance,” she said. “But maybe this section should focus on monitoring government-implemented projects. But there must be these sections in every government department.”
In his submission earlier, CAG Kichere said that 9,975 recommendations from 31, 311 that his office gave in previous reports, which is equivalent to 32 per cent, have been implemented while the implementation of 10,431 recommendations, which is equivalent to 33 per cent, continues. The implementation of a total of 6,284 recommendations, which is equivalent to 20 per cent, has not started.
Other things that the CAG noted in his submission were the overlapping of responsibilities between the Tanzania National Roads Agency (TANROADS) and Tanzania Airports Authority (TAA); challenges facing pension funds; failure of the Medical Store Department (MSD) to deliver medical supplies worth Sh14.1 billion to 27 referral hospitals for a year; and the ballooning of the government debt.
On his part, PCCB Director General Salum Hamduni told President Samia during his submission that the anti-corruption watchdog saved a total of Sh29.3 billion of public funds through various operations it led in the year 2020/2021.
He also said that a total of 503 corruption-related were ruled out in the court whereby the government won 347 of them while losing 156.
